Safest by Michael Donaghy
Wed, 2006-05-03 10:09
#1
Safest by Michael Donaghy
When Michael Donaghy was rushed into hospital in 2004, there was precious little time before he lost consciousness but he communicated which of his poems he wanted to be published - they were, he said, in a folder on his computer named 'Safest' and this was used as the collection's title (previous versions were in folders named 'safe' and 'safer')
The collection is punchy and funny and more than up to his previous errata and shiboleth standard despite his untimely death. As the dust sleeve proclaims. The English speaking world is a poorer place for the loss of Donaghy's voice.
But let this be a lesson to us to be careful what we name our PC folders. For otherwise I may wind up with a posthumous collection called "shit I am working on"...
jude
ralph
I loved him. He was my teacher at Birkbeck and became a friend. He was the coolest, most brightest man that I ever met,
His memorial and wake were tht beautiful and emotional occaisions.
What I learnt from him was how to let writing breath. To give space to words.
He knew everything.
We had him perform at an ABC evening at the Bloomsbury and he stole the whole show.
I remember Fish melting in front of him.
The last time I saw him was at a summer school. We had coffee and a long chat about me taking poetry in my second year.
He gave ne a very high mark for my submission for course work and a lovely letter that I shall always cherish.
With a lick of paint (one of his favorite phrases).
Missed.
Ralph